1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for the gravitational administration of fluids and drugs to large animals.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
It is often necessary and appropriate to administer blood, plasma, drugs, electrolyte, and supplemental salt solutions intravenously to large animals (usually sheep, goats, swine, cattle, horses and etc., but the list may include other large exotic animals, e.g. deer, lions, llamas, tigers and etc.). It is possible to confine these animals within a reasonably small space, e.g. a stall or pen up to 14 foot square. But, it is sometimes difficult or impossible to tether them to fluid administrating devices without potentially injuring the animal, especially if they are in pain or frightened. In larger adult animals (weighing 500 to 1000 kg or more), it may be necessary to intravenously administer up to 20 liters per hour.
Presently, there is no safe, reliable system for rapid gravitational administration of blood, plasma, drugs, electrolyte, and supplemental salt solutions to large animals.
The problems which are encountered when attempting to administer the needed fluids to the animals are bacterial contamination of the fluids before and during administration, less than adequate rate of fluid flow, difficulty in hoisting and lowering the fluid containers to allow for gravitational flow, twisting of the tubing during administration which stop or limit flow, tangling of the tubing around the animal, and the inability to administer drugs and supplemental salt solutions simultaneously or obtain blood samples without opening the system to bacterial contamination.
Heretofore, fluid administration systems for animals have employed available disposable intravenous fluid administration sets designed for human beings. These sets provide the needed tubing, Y-connectors, flow control device and drip chamber. But, they do not achieve the required rate of flow, because of their small internal lumen diameter. Also, they do not provide the needed extension and retraction of functional tubing length to prevent the animal from becoming entangled in the apparatus as the animal moves about the stall. Further, the common fluid container is held in a fixed position above the animal and as the animal moves the tubing from the containers invariably becomes twisted, thus obstructing fluid flow. In addition, these systems designed for humans lack any mechanism to secure the tubing to the fluid containers and the animal, so they often become disconnected with loss of the fluid and the potential introduction of bacteria or air into the vein being used for fluid administration.
Sterile pyrogen free water and electrolyte solutions packaged in one, three and five liter closed, collapsible, FDA approved plastic bags with "universal" connectors are presently available from many medical supply houses. Further, there are 500 ml, one and three liter sterile empty plastic bags which can be filled with blood, plasma, supplemental salt solutions, sugar solutions, to name but a few examples, which could be hung from the hanger and connected to the tubing apparatus of the present invention.